Electrical connectors are used for connecting cables or other components in the electronic and aerospace industries. These electrical connectors include an insulated or dielectric housing having a plurality of respective channels receiving a corresponding plurality of contacts. These contacts are usually relatively thin, are elongated longitudinally, and have respective end portions providing terminals or equivalent elements. Each of the contacts has a body portion including side edges, and each of the side edges is provided with one or more laterally-projecting barbs. These barbs engage the respective sides of the channel in the insulated housing to effect an interference or press-fit therebetween, thereby retaining the contact within its respective channel.
The contacts are inserted into their respective channels using high-speed automated equipment for producing a low-cost high-quality reliable product.
The trend in electrical connectors is higher circuit density for product miniaturization without sacrificing product reliability. With higher circuit density, the contacts are necessarily smaller and are spaced closer together. As a result, the barbs on the contacts may not provide the desired retention force, especially where the electrical connector is intended for repeated "make and break" engagement over an extended period of time.
Barbs are also ineffective in applications in which the walls of the housing are configured for high density applications, i.e. when the walls are relatively thin to conserve space. In these instances, the barbs can break through the plastic and make electrical contact with the adjacent contact terminal. This causes an electrical short which prevents the connector from operating properly.